First Look: Iconic 70’s retailer returns to stage with new flagship

Fiorucci is back — and it hasn’t lost its cheeky, irreverent attitude.

The brand, which acquired cult status and flourished throughout the 1970s and 1980s before going into a slow decline, was relaunched earlier this year with a new website, new fashions and pop-ups in Barneys New York and Selfridges (London). Capping off its comeback, Fiorucci has opened a 5,000-sq-ft. flagship in London’s SoHo neighborhood. A New York City location is planned for 2018.

Designed by U.K. firm Brinkworth, the store celebrates the brand’s return, and is accented with graphics and art that recall its celebrated past. The theatrical environment combines fashion, culture, music — and cocktails — amid a range of different colors and textures. The store is colorful and cheeky — the lingerie department is set off with a giant circular bed.

The three-story space (two floors of retail, with a wholesale showroom in the basement) features a spiral staircase, accented with a floral installation. It has a customization area where jeans can be tailored and personalized, and other items can be embellished with graphics from the Fiorucci archives.

The store also has a cocktail bar and lounge area, and a cafe (Fioruccino’s) that serves up the brand’s signature angel icon on cupcakes.

Founded in 1967, Fiorucci gained cult status in the 1970s, best known for branded jeans and sexy fashions. Its flagships, in New York, London and Milan, were celebrated for their colorful pop-styled interiors, party atmosphere, and hip clientele (the New York City location was often called “a daytime Studio 54”). But mismanagement, legal battles and changing times took a toll on the brand, which went into receivership in 1989. A couple of relaunches failed to take off.

In 2015, the company was acquired by Janie and Stephen Schaffer, co-founders of the U.K. lingerie chain Knickerbox, who are overseeing the relaunch.

Fast-fashion retailer to open in D.C. landmark building

Uniqlo is opening a shop in one of the nation's most historic train stations.

The retailer will open its newest U.S. outpost on Oct. 10, at Union Station in Washington, D.C. It will be located on the main level, adjacent to Amtrak ticketing, and will open at 7 a.m. during the week to serve morning commuters.

The 3,400-sq-ft. store will carry products for men and women, with an offering that emphasizes the brand’s light, packable essentials. There will be a special focus on grab-and-go items that meet the needs of customers passing through the highly trafficked corridor.

The Union Station site will be Uniqlo's 46th store in the U.S. and second in the D.C. metro area nearly a year after its opening at Tyson’s Corner in McLean, Virginia. The new store also follows the opening of a pop-up shop on F Street which opened on Sept. 28.

Uniqlo, a division of Fast Retailing, has more than 1,900 stores in 19 markets worldwide.

Popular eatery to open cashless location—with kiosk-only ordering

Shake Shack, the burger chain founded by famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, is taking a high-tech approach to its newest site.

The company will open a cashless, kiosk-only location, at Astor Place in Manhattan, in early October. The eatery will feature several digital kiosks, and employees will be stationed around the units to assist guests with their orders and answer any questions. Using the kiosk, patrons select their food, place the order and choose to receive an alert via text when their order is ready. Customers can also use their mobile phones to place an order via the restaurant’s app. The new Shack will have a similar dining room and waiting area as a traditional Shack, according to CNBC.

Shake Shack said the kiosk concept was developed to allow it to serve more patrons at peak times, resulting in fewer lines, less wait time and quicker speed of service at every channel.

“The Astor Place Shack will be a playground where we can test and learn the ever-shifting needs of our guests,” said Randy Garutti, CEO of Shake Shack. “We’re excited to lead with kiosk-only ordering, putting control of the Shake Shack experience in our guest’s hands, and an optimized kitchen with increased capacity for mobile orders and eventual delivery integration to support ongoing digital innovation.”

Building what it called “a business model to support digital innovation,” Shake Shack will pay workers at the Astor Place location a starting wage of $15 per hour.

“We’re thrilled to be starting our team members at $15 per hour in this location as we continue to take care of our teams first, while we evolve our business model for a big future ahead,” said Garutti. “The Astor Place Shack represents our dedication to innovation and to providing the best for our guests and for our teams.”

Shake Shack opened its first location in 2004, in Manhattan. The company currently operates than 85 locations in 18 U.S. States and the District of Columbia, and more than 50 international locations.

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